Monday, September 25, 2017

Where do I stand on the national anthem? On the side of healing, please.

Professional athletes are making a statement during the
national anthem again. I say again because this isn’t the first time this has
happened. I remember well the black fists on the podium at the 1968 Olympics
and the outrage people expressed as a result.

Clearly, Americans have diverse feelings about our
national anthem. I will admit that it chokes me up when I sing it, although I’m
not exactly sure why. I suppose it represents my country weathering hard times
and surviving them…it's a source of pride for me. (I've only known the first verse most of my life, and that's what I focus on.)

Although it’s just a song and the flag is just a piece of
cloth, they represent more than that. For some people, they are synonymous with
our country, so to disrespect the anthem or the flag is to disrespect our
country. If you lost a family member who fought for our country in the military,
your connection to the flag probably runs deep. The flag may be a person you love who was taken from you in an act of bravery defending something they believe in. Any sign of disrespect for that is unfathomable.

I suppose it makes sense that when people are really angry
with our country, they will attack our symbols. It’s a powerful way to make a
statement and a lot better than blowing up government buildings. No one is
physically harmed in the process. And yet it’s hard to say that no one is hurt.

I’ve been a bit puzzled by the fact that few people are
pointing out the obvious about all the NFL players who got down on one knee during
the national anthem this week. Those who are protesting are overwhelmingly African
American. As a white person, I can’t pretend I haven’t noticed.

I have no clue what it’s like to be black in our country;
that’s not my experience. But I want to do my best to understand. I would like
to hear from those who are angry enough with our country that they can’t bring
themselves to stand for our national anthem. I would like to understand why
they feel this is necessary. Instead of accusing them of being traitors, I
would like to understand their perspective.

That may sound un-American to some folks, but seeking healing in a nation that is clearly divided is born out of
love for my country. And clearly, as a follower of Jesus, that’s where I’m
called to go.

We are so quick to accuse “them” and defend “us.” We do this
without taking the time to listen to one another. It's not productive and will
never move us forward. I hate watching our country go through this latest
controversy, yet again casting judgment with no concern for understanding.

Instead of accusing or dismissing those who don’t share our experience
or perspective, why don’t we try listening?

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About Me

Nancy is an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She serves at Ascension Lutheran Church in Towson, Maryland. Nancy grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, and then served time at Bowling Green State University, before moving on to Trinity Seminary in Columbus. Starting out in North Dakota, she then returned to Ohio and served churches there before landing in North Carolina, where she served at two different congregations in Charlotte. She was also on the bishop's staff and earned a PhD from Pitt during her spare time in the area of religion and education. She considers herself an educator who happens to be a pastor and it makes a difference in how she does ministry. She is a divorce survivor, and the mother of two artsy-fartsy children who abandoned her when they became adults. Now she shares a home with Father Guido Sarducci, her tuxedo cat.